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Leipzig (dpa) - The Erfurt-Halle / Leipzig express line, which has been closed for days due to the snow masses, could soon be released again.
All available forces are being worked to clear the high-speed route from ice and snow, said a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn on Thursday.
But it is a special challenge because the route leads through numerous tunnels and, among other things, over the two longest railway bridges in Germany.
After the situation was assessed on Wednesday during a reconnaissance flight, a snow blower from Halle has been in use on the entire route since Thursday, primarily to clear the heavy snowdrifts at the tunnel portals.
This work should last the entire Thursday.
Then another inspection flight should check the progress.
“If we make progress as planned, so-called empty trips can then take place.
This means that ICE trains without passengers on board travel the route between Halle and Erfurt, for example to ensure that the overhead lines are completely free of ice, ”explained the railway spokeswoman.
The important north-south connection was only possible for days by diversion via Weimar.
This had led to considerable delays.
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Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn announced that after the massive restrictions in long-distance and regional traffic, trains were rolling again in many places.
"Around 95 percent of the route network can be used again - but often with restrictions and sometimes long delays," the group announced on Thursday.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210211-99-400439 / 2